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Murray Avenue leaders say MTSS grouping and schedule changes produced midyear gains on I-Ready benchmarks
Summary
District staff presented a Murray Avenue MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) update, saying targeted regrouping and greater specialist availability coincided with measurable midyear gains on I-Ready reading and math benchmarks and a decline in students two-plus years below grade level.
Administrators presented a midyear update on the district's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at Murray Avenue, reporting that targeted regrouping and dedicated intervention time have coincided with measurable gains on I-Ready benchmarks.
Mr. Stroup and Ms. Spraggins described Murray Avenue's elementary model as a "walk to intervention model" that groups students by need and moves specialists across grades so students in tiers 2 and 3 receive targeted instruction. "Our elementary model 'is a walk to intervention model where all of our students... are grouped and regrouped on several occasions to go to areas that have like needs," a presenter stated during the update.
The presenters cited midyear I-Ready data showing growth across grades. For reading, presenters reported increases such as fourth-grade students moving from about 38% to 59% at or above benchmark; similar upward shifts were reported for fifth and sixth grades. For math, staff reported stronger gains: schoolwide numbers rose from 54% to 75% at or above benchmark, and grade-specific improvements included fourth-grade math moving to roughly 75% at or above benchmark.
Presenters attributed the gains to a combination of curriculum instruction, frequent regrouping and targeted specialist support. Ms. Spraggins said the program's instructional supports include reading specialists, special-education teachers and general-education teachers working together: "Everyone is working really hard to make sure our students get the appropriate level of support," she said.
Board members asked about curriculum alignment and cohort comparisons. Administrators acknowledged curriculum pacing affects benchmark timing and said the district analyzes cohort growth year to year to avoid grouping students based on skills they have not yet been taught. They offered to provide cohort-comparison data on request.
Administrators described next steps to increase MTSS effectiveness: tighter scheduling to improve fluidity between regroupings, districtwide specialist availability during a coordinated "Lions' time," continued use of multiple screening tools (Panorama, I-Ready, DIBELS) and annual updates to the MTSS handbook.
The presentation concluded with several short success stories of individual students who moved multiple grade levels on their benchmarks after receiving intensive supports. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; members thanked staff and asked for additional longitudinal cohort data to be shared at a future meeting.
